


Power's Out

by justdk



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24103921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justdk/pseuds/justdk
Summary: The power goes out and Neil helps Andrew find ways to cope with the heat
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 10
Kudos: 196





	Power's Out

“I can’t believe the power’s out.” Andrew plucked at his T-shirt, sweat already trickling from his hairline and down his back. The bedroom felt like an oven.

Neil yawned and stretched out on the bed like the oppressive warmth was nothing. His lethargy was the only sign that the heat was getting to him; Neil usually was up and about by this time in the morning.

“It’s not a big deal,” Neil mumbled sleepily.

Andrew grunted. He peeled off his shirt and shorts and moved to the windows. He undid the latches and pushed the windows up. The first two windows opened easily but the last one stuck and it took a minute of pushing and swearing to get it slide up. Andrew leaned against the frame, enjoying the breeze and the scent of freshly mown grass and wild clover. He heard the groan of the mattress before he heard Neil’s quiet footfalls approach.

Neil leaned against him and sighed softly.

“I really love that smell,” Neil said. “It’s… ” he trailed off, his forehead furrowing.

“It’s what?” Andrew prompted.

“I was going to say nostalgic but that’s not quite right. Anyways, it’s a good smell.”

“It reminds me of when I moved here,” Andrew said, “and Tilda made me cut the grass. I’d never done that before.” Andrew fanned his warm face with his hands and shrugged. “I got sunburned and eaten up by fire ants and mosquitoes.”

Neil made a sympathetic noise and stroked the back of Andrew’s bare forearm. The skin was paler than the rest of his arm, the hair finer. Despite the heat Andrew shivered.

“I don’t know much about cutting grass,” Neil admitted, “but I know a thing or two about crashing in a house without power.” He bumped his hip against Andrew’s. “Want me to show you?”

Andrew actually wanted to go find a hotel with vacancies and arctic AC but he nodded anyway and let Neil lead him downstairs. The storm that had blown through the night before had knocked out power in many neighborhoods around Columbia. Andrew had been awake for most of the storm, curled up around Neil and tensing at each loud crash of thunder. He had missed when the power had gone out but had woken up uncomfortably hot and sweaty, seen the flashing numbers on the digital clock, and put two and two together. A quick search on his phone – the battery already at half power – revealed outages throughout the city.

Neil led Andrew to the kitchen and stood by the fridge with a mock solemn look on his face.

“First things first,” Neil announced. “We eat anything that’s going to spoil and try to preserve the rest.”

“Well that’s easy,” Andrew replied, brushing past him and reaching for the handle on the freezer door, “all we have is ice cream, frozen pizza, milk, and whatever’s in the pantry.”

“Such luxury,” Neil said wistfully. Andrew shot him a look and Neil explained. “I stayed in a lot of places without electricity so no ice cream, milk, or frozen pizzas.” He gratefully accepted the pint of sherbet that Andrew handed to him. “It was a lot of granola bars and canned food like Spaghetti-Os.”

Andrew shuddered. He had stayed with one family that fed the kids a diet consisting exclusively of canned Spaghetti-Os; you couldn’t pay him to eat them now. He grabbed a spoon and dug into the carton of banana split. The sweet, cold, creamy goodness was a welcome relief from the heat. Andrew hopped up on the counter and patted the spot beside him. Neil joined him and they ate in silence, legs brushing together, heels thumping quietly against the cabinets. Andrew glanced over at Neil and found him smiling, his hair a mess and his cheek still creased from the pillow. Neil swallowed another spoonful of sherbet and sighed happily. He looked over and caught Andrew’s gaze.

“This is nice,” Neil said. Andrew made a dismissive sound and gestured at the beads of sweat rolling down his chest. Neil laughed. “Are you implying that seeing you all hot and sweaty isn’t nice? Because I disagree.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Andrew grumbled. “I feel like I’m melting.”

Neil made a considering noise and then slid off the counter. He went around to the window over the sink and pushed it open but lowered the blinds. He did this with the rest of the windows on the first floor and also opened the sliding glass door that led out to the back patio. He returned with one of Kevin’s Exy magazines and set about fanning Andrew with it.

“Kevin will never forgive you for getting your sweating hands all over that,” Andrew commented. He was already feeling a bit better, mostly due to the numbingly cold ice cream and Neil’s fanning.

Neil shrugged. “I can deal with that. Beside, this issue is trash.”

“Oh yeah?” Andrew set down his empty ice cream container and dropped off the counter, crowding into Neil’s space.

“Yeah,” Neil breathed, his eyes moving to focus on Andrew’s mouth. “You didn’t make their top ten list of best college Exy players.”

Andrew swallowed a laugh. “How dare they.” He reached for Neil, hands wrapping around his narrow hips.

“The nerve of them,” Neil agreed. He was grinning, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He gently smacked the magazine against Andrew’s face before letting it fall to the floor.

Andrew pulled him in closer until their foreheads touched. Neil’s breath caught, his hands fisted into the oversized T-shirt he wore.

“Not sure if cuddling is the best way to keep cool,” Neil murmured, his eyes locking with Andrew’s, “but I’m not complaining.”

“Ah, but you run cold, right?” Andrew teased, his hands sliding up Neil’s sides, feeling Neil’s skin prickle with goosebumps.

It was true – Neil’s hands were always cold and whenever Andrew touched him he was shocked by the temperature difference between them. Neil had said that Andrew’s hands were hot, that he was warm and cozy. Neil had been a little drunk when he had said it, his face tucked into Andrew’s neck while he giggled helplessly as Andrew had traced swirling shapes over his stomach.

Kissing Neil in the kitchen didn’t help Andrew cool down at all but it was 100% worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually a fan of hot weather -- catch me over here with the windows open and a glass of iced tea in hand
> 
> you can find me on tumblr @dkafterdark


End file.
